SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



easy 8 1, as is shown by the amateur and profes- 

 sional records of 76 and 70, made respectively 

 by Mr. D. Jones and Harry Simpson. There 

 is a good club-house, and the trophies for compe- 

 titioii include the Captain's Cup and the Mack- 

 land Challenge Cup. 



The Hesketh Golf Club, with which is amal- 

 gamated the original Southport Club, established 

 in 1885, was founded in the autumn of 1902. 

 Its long course of 6,300 yards is on the sea front 

 of the borough of Southport, on the property of 

 Mr. C. H. Bibby-Hesketh of North Meols, and 

 is laid out over the sandhills of the seashore with 

 some holes on agricultural land and sea marshes. 

 All the hazards are natural, the greens are good, 

 and the holes are of admirable length, the longest 

 being nearly 500 yards. The par score for this 

 long course is 78 ; the record of 70 is held by 

 Peter McEwan, the club professional, the best 

 amateur return being Mr. W. Henderson's 73. 

 The Hesketh Ladies' Club play over the men's 

 course, but from shortened tees. Among the 

 club trophies are the Hesketh Silver Shield and 

 the Buckley and the Pilkington Gold Medals. 

 The links of the Southport and Ainsdale Club 

 in the immediate neighbourhood were opened in 

 April, 1907, 



The youngest of the seaside courses is that of 

 the Dunnerholme Club at Askam-in-Furness, on 

 the coast 6 miles north of Barrow, overlooking 

 Duddon Sands. Instituted in 1906 this club 

 has an 1 8-hole course of good seaside turf, with 

 a length of close on 6,000 yards. 



Turning now inland we find that the oldest 

 of the many golf clubs is the Old Manchester, 

 notable as being for half a century the only 

 upholder of the royal and ancient game in the 

 county of Lancaster. Founded as long ago as 

 1 8 1 8, it is old in years and in constitution rather 

 than in its links, for its 9-hole course was 

 opened in 1 903 at Kersal Edge, with a ladies' 

 club as a branch of it. The Old Manchester 

 possesses a valuable collection of prizes, chief 

 among which are the Bannerman Gold Medal, 

 the Atherton Silver Medal, the Holdsworth 

 Medal, and the Club Cup. 



The course of the Haydock Park Golf Club 

 adjoins the well-known race-course at Dean Dam 

 Moor, near Newton-le-Willows. The club was 

 founded in January, 1877, by Dr. Lister, Dr. 

 Watkins, the Rev. H. Siddall, and others, and its 

 original links of 9 holes have never been extended 

 to the regulation 18. The links are charmingly 

 situated in a wooded district, and the pasture land 

 on which they are laid out is slightly undulating. 



At TrafFord Park, with the Hall as its club- 

 house, are the links of the Manchester Golf 

 Club, instituted in 1 882 by Mr. John Macalister. 

 It is claimed for this 1 8-hole course that it is the 

 best in the neighbourhood of Manchester, and 

 its sandy subsoil gives good going all the year 

 through, though best perhaps in the summer 



months. The putting greens are large and ex- 

 cellently kept, and the numerous hazards and 

 made bunkers are artfully disposed. The course 

 is 3^ miles round, with holes varying in length 

 from 150 to 490 yards. The professional 

 record for the green is held by P. J. Gaudin, 

 who did a 65 in 1905 ; Mr. Norman Macbeth's 

 73 is the best amateur effort. Of the many 

 prizes which this club owns the most important 

 are the Macalister Challenge Shield, the Hogg 

 Challenge Cup, the Mafeking Cup, the Houlds- 

 worth Challenge Cup, and the Balfour Cup. 



The Rochdale Club was founded in May, 

 1888, Its course of 18 holes, 5,500 yards in 

 length, is on undulating pasture land at Bag- 

 slate near Rochdale. Bogey is 80, and the 

 record score is 76 by A. Herd. 



In 1889 theWilpshire and District Golf Club 

 was started through the instrumentality of Mr. 

 James Bertwistle, with links on moorland pasture 

 at Wilpshire near Blackburn. It has a 9-hole 

 course of 2,700 yards, and the hazards are stone 

 walls, ditches, and made bunkers. 



At Redvales is the 9-hole course of the Bury 

 Club, made in the summer of 1890, on undu- 

 lating pasture on the road between Bury and 

 Manchester. The hazards here are roads and 

 artificial bunkers. 



The year 1 89 1 was a time of great golfing 

 activity in Lancashire. Nine-hole courses were 

 laid out on the moorside at Smithhills for the 

 Bolton Golf Club ; at Didsbury, 5 miles from 

 Manchester ; and at Grange Park, St. Helens, 

 on sandy ground on the Liverpool road between 

 Prescot and St. Helens. 



The Pleasington Club, founded a year later, 

 has another 9-hole course on undulating and 

 sandy ground — partly pasture and partly heath 

 — under Hoghton Tower. These picturesque 

 links were laid out by G. Lowe, of St. Annes. 

 The hazards are trees and ponds, with a number 

 of artificial sand-bunkers. The par score — a 

 liberal 84 — for the double round has been well 

 beaten by more than one member of the club in 

 79 strokes. 



In 1892 also were instituted the Darwen 

 Golf Club, which is singular in having a course 

 of 1 2 holes about a mile from the town ; the 

 Fairfield Club, with its 9-hole course, 4 miles 

 from Manchester ; and the Oldham Golf Club, 

 whose 1 8-hole links are at Lees, with a short 

 course for ladies affiliated to it. The links of 

 the Withington Club, initiated in the same year 

 by Mr. J. M. Eaton, are on rich alluvial meadow 

 land on a bend of the Mersey between Didsbury 

 and Northenden. The course of 18 holes is 

 rather flat, but the artificial hazards are well 

 arranged, the turf is of fine quality, and the 

 greens are remarkably good. The par score of 

 76, erring perhaps on the side of leniency, has 

 been beaten by Mr. H. C. R. Horkheimer's 72 

 and G. A. Cassidy's 68. 



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